Speak Up Archive: Pedobibliophilia

Now that I have a 2 year old, the experience of going to the book store is quite different than the days B.C. (before children). What used to consist of a casual evening of sipping chai tea while browsing through the periodicals, art books, and various how-to-fix-that-old-house tomes while the significant other finds a cozy overstuffed chair now typically takes the form of a somewhat ragged parent chasing the young’un through the kids’ section.

However, I’ve happily discovered that kids’ books are a lot prettier than most of the other things on the other side of the half-wall full of stuffed Clifford dogs. This past week’s venture led me to discover some real gems. Here’s a few that grabbed my attention:

Heartland: A Prarie Sampler

Features wonderfully detailed illustrations of the plains by Yvette Moore. If you have fond memories of grain elevators dotting the landscape, this is great book. Unfortunately, the web doesn’t do her illustrative technique justice.
Achoo! Bang! Crash! The Noisy Alphabet

Wood Type. Retro Illustration. Split Fountains. What more could you want?
The Boy Who Looked Like Lincoln

Written by a former Simpson’s writer, and illustrated by political cartoonist David Catrow. It’s a fun story with great illustrations of poor children who suffer uncanny likenesses to a variety of historical people and other various objects (including a horse’s ass).
Bed, Bed, Bed

It’s a great 4-song EP from They Might Be Giants, writers and performers of everyone’s favorite graphic design themed ditty. The book is fun, with great illustrations (like an octopus wearing pajamas), but I actually had some problems with the ‘total’ package (namely, it’s really hard to flip through the book at the pace of the CD). That said, I saw that it was the product of our own Sam Potts (recently retired from Speak Up). Nice work, Sam!

Thanks, I'm always looking for recommendations for my neices and nephews! This Christmas I loved Olive, the Other Reindeer illustrated by J.�Otto�Seibold. Funky illustration and a really unique story. I bought a copy for my niece AND my husband!

On Feb.06.2004 at 11:27 AM

I'm a big fan of anything by David Christiana. The Drawer in the Drawer, White Nineteens, or A Tooth Fairies Tale have wonderful stories and beautiful illustrations. Good Griselle also presents a unique moral dilema for children.

On Feb.06.2004 at 11:57 AM

i love that ross macdonald alphabet book. the color use is so gorgeous as well as the transluscent quality of some of the type layers.

in fact, we have a promo in the office that he sent out a few years ago. a long wooden ruler with a tag that says "The Editor Corrector" with a great illustrated suggested use of a person thwacking an editor with the ruler. fun funny fun.

On Feb.06.2004 at 12:15 PM

Hey, thanks for the nod, darrel! 'Ppreciate it!

I seem to recall at some point someone figuring that it was likely that the disk would get separated from the book (I think I was wanting to put only a piece of art on the disk, no identification). So that kind of says to me no one was thinking (oops) about reading along in the book to the songs. The "text" type isn't all that readable anyway but Flansburgh would not be denied.

23 fonts on the inside. I think it's 13 on the jacket alone. Best people to work with. More tk.

On Feb.06.2004 at 01:53 PM

I don't have kids, but I have a strong attraction to kids' books. I like to keep my eye on things in the kids book section, and I can't count the number of times I've wanted to buy something I found for myself because the designs or illustrations -- or even the story -- are just so damned compelling.

On Feb.06.2004 at 02:02 PM

I too have discovered the joys of books for our 1 year old twins. What a great project if you are an illustrator.

I picked up a CD called Dodo la Planete Do which translates to something like Dream Songs and Night Songs - a compliation of world music lullibies. Great CD but what caught me was the Illustrations. There is a 14 page booklet that accompanies the disc with briliant illustrations by Sylvie Bourbonniéte. When copying to my iPod i noticed there a high res PDF file is included with all 14 colourful illustrations as 11x17 posters. I guess this is so you can print out the posters but I was quite surprised they were there. Nice little find.

I've gotten quite nostalgic too and picked up my childhood favorites including Where the Wild things Are and The Giving Tree - great books and amazing illustrations.

On Feb.06.2004 at 02:50 PM

There are lots of interesting suggestions in this recent thread on the same topic, although many of the links are already broken. Curse the information rapid-cycle!

On Feb.06.2004 at 02:53 PM

For some reason, Yvette Moore's website has triggered the corporate internet warning -- what the heck could be forcing that to happen on a page for a children's book illustrator?

On Feb.06.2004 at 03:30 PM

There are some very very cool children's books out there. Some with very cool art, some with awesome printing techniques, some that you may feel are too precious to touch... It's got to be an exciting industry to be a part of...

But what is really the coolest thing of all, is when you can find a book that really excites the designer blood within you, and captivates your two year-old son, with that same sense of wonder, over and over again.

On Feb.09.2004 at 08:54 AM

Wow.. out of curiousity I looked for the Rand childrens books at amazon and bn.com.. in the out of print.. wow.. they sell for high amounts.. does anyone by chance have a copy?

Scan some pages... please.. I am so so curious!

On Feb.10.2004 at 11:06 AM

Coleen, if you liked Olive you should check out J. Otto's Mr. Lunch series (Mr. Lunch Borrows a Canoe, Mr. Lunch Takes a Plane Ride). Funky and uniqueness surrounds his work. My sons love the stories and the illustrations.

On Feb.11.2004 at 10:04 AM